School cuts in Hamburg: At 6:10 p.m. a child trots through the hall on all fours

It's not often that a town hall has to close due to overcrowding. But in Hamburg the time had come on this Wednesday evening. The Citizens' School Committee had invited people to a public hearing in the house's ballroom. In the magnificent room, under three heavy, glittering golden chandeliers, citizens were able to vent their anger about planned cuts to all-day primary schools. Many people accepted this invitation. Too many, as it turned out.

A demonstration in front of the town hall began at 4 p.m., in which, according to media reports, 800 people took part. Shortly afterwards, many of them set off through the large portal into the town hall, with protest banners in one hand, elementary school students in the other, some with little siblings in strollers.